Highway administrator visits Winston-Salem to tout infrastructure projects

Federal transportation officials are touring the country to promote projects funded under President Joe Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law, including a stop in Winston-Salem.

Stephanie Pollack, the Federal Highway Administration's acting administrator, spoke at Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem. She was there to promote a $6 million grant to extend the Long Branch Trail.

The bike and pedestrian corridor runs parallel to U.S. 52. The project will lengthen the trail by more than a mile to the north. Pollack says it will serve as an alternative to driving for nearby residents.

“The extension is going to nearly double the length of this trail, helping to improve connections for disadvantaged communities in North Winston-Salem, improving safety, and expanding transportation option for residents who are more likely to walk and bike to access jobs, education and other important opportunities in the innovation quarter and in downtown,” she says.

The Long Branch project is among 166 initiatives nationwide funded by the $2.2 billion Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity — or RAISE — program. Pollack says the grants were competitive, with fewer than 20 percent of applications approved.